What: The first in a O'Fallon/Schlafly/NABC collaborative series, this is beer #1 (C-1 for short). Its an Oak Aged Dry Hopped Smoked Rye Pale Ale, 6.5% ABV and 35 IBU. Despite the smoked rye malt, the first notes coming from the nose were a heavy dose of citrus/lemonade. Putting your nose deeper into the glass really brings out the smoked rye. Have you ever bbq'ed an orange/lemon? That's the sort of taste that revealed itself.

Why: I'll admit that trying a beer (I'm assuming) before some of the folks that helped brew it is a rare treat (and more than a little odd), but we've never been the type to turn down an opportunity. Our yet-to-be-finished samples were poured off a pigtail connected the the fermentation tank in Schlafly's Tap Room basement. Thanks to Schlafly's Stephen Hale and StlHops.com Mike Sweeney for the sneak preview, and to the brewers at all three breweries for putting the beer together.

When: The yet to be named finished product should show up at the respective breweries sometime in January.

KOTBR #90 - Medal Winners - We visit Barley Island and Brugge Brasserie in Broad Ripple to try some medal winning beers. Things get interesting when we are joined by some special guests, including Michael Phelps, Rob Halford, Glenn Danzig, and Brugge's very own Ted Miller.

Beer: The Pedal Pusher's Potion - Our first in depth feature receives support from Dogfish Head, Left Hand, Breckenridge Brewery, and Smuttynose, and draws in hits from hundreds of cyclists looking for a beer buzz.